Recorded on 11/06/2026

Maria Forryan is Subject Lead of Drama at Elliott Hudson College. She has also taught A Level Music, BTEC music, GCSE English, EPQ and been a mentor for Trainee teachers whilst working there. Maria has been there for 10 years now, since moving back from Shanghai, and she also works for AQA as an A Level Drama examiner too.

Starting her teaching career as Head of Music at a comprehensive school in Oldham, although she also taught Drama - which she definitely preferred. Maria then moved to a very posh private boarding school in Suffolk, which she says, ‘looked like Hogwarts’, there she held the position of director of Drama for 4 years.

Fancying somewhere a bit louder and brighter she then took a job as Director of Performing Arts at the British International School in Shanghai before she moved back to the UK with her husband to start a family. They didn't know Leeds well but Maria’s sister lived in Morley and they liked the city from the couple of times they had visited. So, from the other side of the world they decided to move to the best city there is - Leeds. And she’s been here ever since.

Additionally, Maria: volunteers as a theatre critic and interviewer for Leeds Living magazine, which promotes living in Leeds. Usually covering professional productions, mainly at Leeds Grand and Leeds Playhouse, she also enjoys reviewing local amateur theatre too. Maria particularly like to review children's theatre as she can take her two children with her too - and they by all accounts love it. Maria also does upon request interviews with cast members or directors in the lead up to particular shows. In the last year she set up her own instagram page maria_Reviews_leeds_theatre where she shares all the links for the shows she reviews, and anything else that she sees, such as music concerts or shows outside Leeds.

Maria also plays for Leeds Wheelchair Basketball team where her husband is a coach. She is a qualified scaffolder and brick layer! A qualified minibus driver and, like me (Thanks to Underwood training – check out series 5 episode 33 for more on them) a first aider (which she uses at work). Maria is also a trustee on her kids’ PTA as well being as a parent governor.

This one goes hard on theatre and I hope it’s as fun for you to listen to this recording as it was to listen to Maria talking.

You can find Maria’s reviews on her Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/maria_reviews_leeds_theatre/

Or at Leeds Living

https://leedsliving.co.uk/

Mentioned in the interview:

https://www.facebook.com/oscars.morley/

https://www.thewardrobe.co.uk

https://whiteswanleeds.co.uk/

https://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/restaurants/yorkshireandthehumber/thescarbroughhotelbishopsgatestreetleeds#/

https://leedsheritagetheatres.com

https://www.leedsplayhouse.org.uk

https://www.facebook.com/people/Morley-March-Hymn-Tune-Contest/61553483114559/#

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLua32GVbRI_FcUnKVCCH8JcfEK2hgeHkh

Let me know if I've missed any links you might want.

Check out Underwood Training's episode: https://the-working-hours-podca.captivate.fm/episode/helen-underwood

Recorded on 22/06/2026

Lynette Willoughby’s first degree was in Electrical and Electronic Engineering after which she moved to Leeds to teach at Foxwood school for 2 years. After then trekking round the Pyrenees and the Alps for 3 months with a friend Lynette taught at East Leeds Women's Workshops. She then did an MSc in Microprocessor Engineering followed by over 20 years working at Leeds Poly/Leeds Metropolitan University.

Lynette was very active in the Women's Engineering Society and was President from 1993-1995. At 49 she started a part-time Fine Art degree at Leeds College of Art - Lynette had always been an artist alongside being an engineer – her mother was an artist even though as a single parent with 4 children her mother never had much time to practice her art, but Lynette grew up around all her work.

Since retiring in 2005 Lynette has concentrated more on her art, doing site-responsive installations with a friend and also making artists books, which she shows at Artists Book Fairs.

We also discuss the brilliant alternative economy idea of Time Banking in this episode.

Get in to time banking people.

https://timebanking.org/

https://lynettewilloughby.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynette_Willoughby

https://www.roundhayartists.com/

https://mrbragshaws.co.uk/

https://www.gutenberg.org/

https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/

https://www.deliziosa.co.uk/

https://www.jupiterartland.org/

https://www.alanpergusey.com/

Recorded on 23/04/2026

By day, Emma Harper is a Senior Analyst at a stockbrokers’ firm, with 26 years in finance. It's a career she truly loves! Outside of work, Emma is married with two children. She runs two charity groups - a local community fund, now in its 10th year, and a volunteer team supporting the hospice that cared for her mum. She also hosts a monthly bereavement support group in her mum’s honour, because no one navigating loss should ever feel alone.

Emma is a lifelong autoimmune and allergy warrior who is passionate about raising awareness and supporting others on that journey. She’s a “life’s too short” kind of girl. Travelling with her family is her therapy, exploring new cultures, learning, laughing, and making memories.

In 2025, she stepped into a powerful new chapter, joining a community of like-minded travel lovers on an epic journey of self-discovery, fresh travel opportunities, and serious confidence building!

Since then, she’s built an incredible team of passionate, travel-driven people.

Emma's is also organising a local business networking event called Support Local on Sunday 14th June 2026 at 7 Steps Bar in Pudsey 1pm to 5pm. It's free to attend so there's nothing to stop you popping along.

Follow Emma at: https://www.instagram.com/theharpercrew/

Links for this episode:

https://www.facebook.com/Farsleydefib/

https://www.facebook.com/people/Friends-of-Wheatfields-LS28/61579621647248/

If you want to make a podcast in West Yorkshire don't forget you can contact Western Studios Leeds Ltd at: https://western-studios.com/

Or if you just need a bit of info about starting your own podcast there's still tickets left for my Introduction to Podcasting Workshop on July 11th at Swarthmore Education Centre. Tickets are 25GBP. Reserve you spot now to avoid disappointment: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-podcasting-with-simon-treen-tickets-1990632856460

Listen to the Leeds Business Podcast episode (made by Western Studios Leeds) about the Climb business event from last year at: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/5b1a586c-e66d-4e75-b702-02fa315f8367/

Or go to:

https://www.climb-uk.com/ to find out more about their events.